Waking up in Another World

Chapter 14: Caelus

Celine's POV

"I can, though"

Nanlalaking mata na napalingon ako sa likod ko. Putangina pag eto talaga tinatakot ako, agang-aga eh.

Walang tao sa likod ko kaya napatayo pa ako at saka lumingon-lingon sa paligid pero wala talagang tao.

I slowly shifted my gaze at Chubby when I realized that maybe he's the one who just spoke. Nakataklob yung paw niya sa bunganga niya na para bang may nasabi siyang masama at medyo nanlalaki pa ang mata niya sa gulat.

Bigla akong napaatras at saka nanlalaking mata na napatingin kay Chubby, "C-Chubby, i-ikaw ba yung nagsalita?!"

Umiling siya kaya nagulat ako. "Putangina, pano mo naintindihan sinabi ko?! shet, aswang ka noh?!" napapaatras na ani ko pa.

Putangina, siya ba yon?

Inalis na niya yung paw niya sa bibig niya at saka tumingin sakin, "Phew, my cover's now blown"

Napalunok ako ng marinig ko ulit ang boses niya. "Pota, ikaw nga! lumayo ka sakin, di ka si Chubby!" sigaw ko pa at saka kumuha ng stick at saka itinutok ito sa kanya.

Chubby chuckled and he stared at me, "Relax, Celine... It's still me, Chubby"

"T-Then, why can you speak?! cats aren't supposed to speak and understand human language!"

"Well, I guess I'm an exception" sabi pa niya.

"Wait lang, i-ikaw talaga si Chubby?" takang tanong ko na lumapit pa.

"Hmmmm, the one and only!" parang proud na sabi pa niya.

"L-Legit? kaya mo talagang intindihin at salitain ang language namin?"

"Of course, I'm also a human after all"

What the hell? tao din siya? "R-Really? c-can you show me your human form then?"

He looked at me and pouted, "Are you sure? baka matakot ka?" he said.

I slowly nodded and I distanced myself. Mahirap na baka alien pala siya makain pako.

He chuckled and smiled, "Ok, your wish is my command" sabi pa niya.

The atmosphere became heavy and I can feel his aura rising. Shet, eto yung aura na naramdaman namin nung nasa den kami ng hounds! yung nakakapanindig balahibo na aura, potek siya yon?

"Transmutation: Human form" he muttered and a green circle appeared below him. Symbols at the edge of the circle glowed intensely.

Humangin ng malakas but I opened one of my eye and saw his body transform into a body of a human.

"Tada! it's me, Chubby!" masiglang ani pa niya matapos niyang magtransform that's why I opened both of my eyes.

Napanganga ako literal ng makita ko ang itsura niya, putangina ang gwapo.

Though, mas gwapo yung isa pero eto kasi combination ng gwapo at cute ang itsura. Mayroon rin siyang cat ears at blonde yung buhok niya tapos mas matangkad din siya sakin, kaso mas matangkad yung lalaking pilosopo.

"Putangina? i-iyan yung human form mo? wag mokong pinagloloko ah!?"

He chuckled and smiled, "Of course, I wouldn't dare to even fool a princess like you" ani pa niya na kumindat pa.

Muntikan na akong kiligin kaso naisip ko pusa nga pala siya.

Pero seryoso, ang cute niyang tignan. Gwapo din siya at the same time pero para sakin cute yung lumamang sa kanya when it comes to his appearance, lalo na't may cat ears siya HAHAHAHA.

"Di ka manlang ba kikiligin?" he asked while pouting. Pota, anlandi naman neto.

"Wait lang feeling ko impostor ka talaga, may proof ka ba na ikaw si Chubby?" I asked once again. Mahirap na, baka mamaya pinatay pala niya si Chubby tapos siya pumalit.

He caressed his chin and look at the sky as if he's thinking, his eyes widened when he remembered something. "Aha! I can still remember that you wore a pink undergarment before you woke up in her---" nasapak ko siya bigla dahil sa gulat.

Putangina, sinisilipan ba niya ako?

"B-Bastos, amputa!" namumulang ani ko pa.

Wait lang, isinasama ko siya minsan sa kwarto tapos tsaka ako nagbibihis kaya siguro alam niya, d-does that mean?

Tinignan ko siya ng masama at napataas naman siya ng kamay, "Wait, you must have misunderstood it. Di kita binobosohan ah? I just saw it nung bigla kang naghubad sa harapan ko"

"S-So you saw me, naked?!" I asked. Medyo naiinis ako kasi tangina seryoso ba talaga to? ambastos ng puta.

He immediately shook his head and pouted, "Do you really think I'm that kind of person? of course not! kaya nga ako natalikod pag nagbibihis ka eh" tanggi pa niya.

I tried remembering if he's really not looking when I'm undressing at oo nga noh?

Nakikita ko siya minsan sa peripheral vision ko na natalikod tapos kapag tinatawag ko siya, di din siya naharap. Hala, shet oo nga.

"S-So wala kang nakita?" I asked once again to confirm and he just nodded while pouting.

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag at saka ako umupo sa swing ulit. "Chubby talaga pangalan mo?" tanong ko pa.

Since he's human, maybe may iba siyang pangalan. Ako nagpangalan sa kanya ng Chubby but it would be weird for me to call him Chubby since he's now a human and di naman siya mataba so di bagay that's why I was wondering if he has a name aside from what I used to call him.

"Nope" iling pa niya.

"Then ano?"

"Hulaan mo"

"Romeo?" I asked. Natawa pa ako ng slight kasi baka yon yung pangalan niya.

"Nah!"

"Juliette?"

"Siyempre hindi!"

"Aiden?"

"What the hell? sino ba yang mga yan?"

"Hehe, wala lang, yon naiisip ko eh. Romina?" hula ko pa.

He shook his head that's why I continued, "Serena? Zephora? Sam?"

He laughed and I stared at him. Pota, ang cute talaga niya lalo na pag natawa siya.

"HAHAHHAHAHA puro babae naman na pangalan binabanggit mo eh, sirit na?" he asked and I nodded.

"Caelus..."

"Key-lus?" sabi ko pa na cinonfirm ang pronunciation. He nodded and smiled, "Ang gwapo diba? pangalan palang" sabi niya pa na nagpogi sign gamit ang kamay.

Napatawa ako bigla at saka ko siya tinignan, "HAHAHHAHAHA pota ang hangin mo naman"

But I admit na maganda talaga ang pangalan niya, Caelus, huh?

"Of course, that's my magic" ani pa niya na kumindat pa.

"Weh? patingin nga?" hamon ko pa.

"Baka humanga ka?" pagyayabang pa niya kaya napatawa ako, "Tangina neto ang yabang HAHAHAHHA"

He also laughed but then he opened his palm. "Enchant: Arctic Breeze"

His eye glowed bright green at bigla nalang humangin. Shet, anlamig...

Puta, para akong nasa chest freezer. Sobrang lamig talaga tapos sobrang hangin pa. "M-Makikialis na ng hangin, C-Caelus"

He chuckled and his eyes returned back to normal, "As you wish, my princess"

Bumalik na yung hangin sa dati pero nilalamig pa rin ako. "By the way, may apelyido ka?" I asked.

He shook his head, "I don't have any, I'm a guardian after all"

"Guardian?"

"Hmmm, bale think of it this way. Parang creatures kami and we can take human or animal form. Meron ding ibang guardian na di mukhang animal pero di din mukhang tao, basta siguro para sainyo ay weird, for example wisps. May instances na iyon lang talaga ang form ng isang guardian, or pede ding gaya ko na pwedeng magshift sa magkaibang form" sabi pa niya. Confusion is written all over my face that's why he sighed.

"A more simple explanation is that guardians are creatures that can form a contract with a human"

"Anong contract?"

"An agreement between the guardian and a human. I don't really know the details that much since I haven't experienced it before but I heard it creates a strong bond between those two" sabi pa niya kaya napatango ako.

Hmmmm, he's a guardian, huh?

"Hey Caelus, oo nga pala..." sabi ko kaya napaangat siya ng tingin.

"What is it?"

"... pano ka nga pala nakapunta dito? ako kasi paggising ko napunta na ako dito, how about you?"

Napatigil pa siya at nag-isip na parang inaalala kung pano siya napunta dito, "I also don't really know but I also just woke up in here just like you, but the difference is, I woke up in a forest while you woke up in a town"

"Hmmmm, I see... anyway, san ka nagmula? I mean, don ka ba sa world ko nagmula or dito?"

"In here, I'm a guardian remember?"

"Eh? pano ka napunta sa mortal world? does that mean may portal para makabalik don? kung may portal, ano ginagawa mo sa mortal world? bakit ka nandon?" sunod sunod na tanong ko pa.

He just shrugged but he didn't answered my question. Pota, curious nako eh.

"Dali na... ano nga? meron nga?" pangungulit ko pa kaya napabuntong hininga siya.

"Wala... it's just quite complicated kaya ang hirap iexplain hehe. Anyway..." sabi niya na iniba pa ang

topic.

Napanguso nalang ako sa itinugon niya. Ayaw talaga niyang sabihin? he must have his own reasons and I respect that, that's why I just kept my questions to myself. Masasagot din naman siguro tong mga tanong ko pag napuntahan na namin si Serena.

"... what do you prefer? my human or animal form?" he suddenly asked. Napalingon ako sa kanya at saka ko siya tinignan ng nagtataka.

"Baket?"

"Dali na... sagutin mo nalang!"

"Ikaw ano bang gusto mo?" tanong ko at napaisip naman siya.

"Uhmmm, to be honest, I prefer my human form because I'm more comfortable this way. How about you?"

"Bakit ba saken mo tinatanong yan?"

"Siyempre I'll accompany you throughout our journey that's why you have to choose. I wanted you to be comfortable when you're around with me that's why I'm asking so be honest with your answer" sagot pa niya kaya napatawa ako.

"Hey, what's funny?"

Di ko siya pinansin atsaka ako tumingin sa mga ulap. "I like your human form more... when you're in your human form, I feel like I'm not alone. Atsaka diba parang ang weird naman kung mag-uusap tayo habang pusa ka HAHAHAHHA kaya mas bet ko yung human form mo" I said and he grinned.

"Sus, type mo lang ako eh. Alam ko namang gwapo ako, wag mo naman ipahalata" mayabang na ani pa niya.

Nagkunyaring nasusuka pa ako at napatawa naman siya, to be honest, aside from those reasons that I stated, I still have a reason why I like his human form more.

I just don't want to tell him kasi baka lumaki ang ulo niya but it's because I feel safer knowing that he's in my side. I don't know why but I just feel relieved knowing that he can be a human, because it felt like he's going to protect me. Though, napoprotektahan din naman niya ako habang pusa siya pero it's more assuring and it seems fun having a human like him as my companion.

"Anyway, if you like my human form more then I'll stay this way, though mas trip ko din naman ang human form since mas comfortable ako but I'm just thinking na baka you prefer me in my cat form. Basta just tell me when you want me to be in my cat form, I'll transform immediately. I want you to be comfortable with me so please be honest" he said and held my hand.

Napangiti ako sa naisip ko, he may be playful at times but he's nice.

"Do you want to eat? I know a nearby resto in here and I heard that their food is delicious. Wanna try it?" he asked.

"Aba sino magbabayad?" I asked.

"Hehe ikaw" nagkakamot pa sa ulong sabi niya. Napatawa ako at saka napatigil. "HAHAHAHHAHA hayop na to, aba mauubos yung pera ko"

Napanguso naman siya at saka napatawa, "Joke lang, my treat. You can get anything you want, wag lang lahat ah?"

"Weh? may pera ka?"

"Of course, nung napunta ako dito, I transformed in this form and I did a quest. Medyo malaki din ang binayad sakin kaya I think that's enough" dagdag pa niya.

"Ambagan nalang kita hehe, para naman makamura ka"

Umiling-iling siya, "Ako na nga magbabayad ang arte neto"

"Anong maarte? sampigahan nalang ano?!" naglolokong hamon ko pa kaya napatawa siya. He patted my head and gently pulled me.

"Napaka-war freak mo HAHAHAHAHA, anyway, tara na baka wala pa tayong maupuan don gawa ng magtatanghali na" yakag pa niya kaya napasunod nalang ako. Hawak din naman niya ang wrist ko kaya nagpadala nalang ako.

Actually I was shocked to know that he's also a human but at the same time I'm glad. Mas napanatag lang ang loob ko kahit papaano lalo na't nagkaroon ako ng kasama tapos tao pa. He's also nice and if I must say, I think he's quite a gentleman. Remember how he used to address me earlier? not gonna lie but I felt valued when he called me princess.

"We're here... eat as much as you want ah? my treat..." sabi pa niya bago niya ako hilahin sa loob ng restaurant na tinutukoy niya.